Cheered on by their fellow students and families, dozens of students at Pendleton Elementary in Buena Park showed off their athletic skills at the school’s first Special Olympics on Friday, April 14.
Forty-one special education students teamed up with 51 buddies from the general education classes as they kicked soccer balls, jumped over bars, walked on balance beams and danced with hula hoops.
“We are excited for our community to see our young athletes persevere through challenges and support one another in truly beautiful ways,” Principal Loriann Leota said prior to the event, which was attended by the entire student body.
The students prepared all year for the Special Olympics, the first of what’s planned to be an annual happening on campus. Pendleton is home to one of two programs for children with disabilities in the Buena Park School District.
“I’m very proud of the work done by the Pendleton team,” said Julie Linnecke, the special education director. “This amazing program has proven to be so valuable for our students. It’s such a pleasure to see the students interacting and having so much fun together.”
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